Wet process of recovering antimony in a pure state from ores, concentrates, tailings, and slimes containing it.



UNITED sra r n s ra rnn r onruon.

JOHN ROY MASSOX, OF

wn'r PROCESS OF 'ma rns, 'ranimes,

Application filed August f0 all tehom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Joux ltov blASSON, a subject of the King of Great Britain and lreland, residing at ll'andong. in the State of Y icloria Commonwealth oi Australia, assayer and metallurgist, have invented an improved \Yet Process for the Recovery oi Antimony in a lurc State from Ores, Concentrates,Tailings, and Slimes Containing it, ol' which the liollowing is a specification.

This invention consists of an improved wet. process for the recovery of antimony, in a pure state, from ores. concentrates, railings and slimes containing it, the object being as stated to recover antimony, in a pure state, and by a continuous process, from the ores etc. containing it.

ln carrying out my process the pulverized oreor materialcontaining antimony is treated with a solution of caustic soda, caustic potash or any other alkali of the requisite strength hot or cold and by such means the antimony contents are dissolved. The said solution, containing the antimony, is now drawn o by tiltration, decanta-tion or other means and run into vats. To thesolution when in the vats sulluric acid is added until it becomes aciililied thereby precipitating the antimony containedin the solution as sullid owing to the liberation of the sulfureted hydrogen he solution is then separated irom the precipitate by tiltration or other suitable means. 'lhis precipitate of sullid of antimony now mixed with clean sand or the like and chloridized by a stream of chlorin 'lhe antimony (now in the form of chlorid of antimony) is washed out and the strongly acid liquor is run into vats or vessels ant rieces of tin, copper, zinc. lead or iron are in troduced into the solution. By this means the antimony held in solution is precipitated as pure antimony. l prefer to employ iron it is much cheaper than in said solution as RECOVERING AN'TIMONY IN A Specification of Letters Parent.

. l l l PURE STATE FROM ORES, CONCEN- AND SLIMES CONTAINING IT.

Patented June 9, 1908.

Serial No, 386.831.

the other metals mentioned, while the object of adding sand to the whirl of antimony precipitate is to permit the leaching ma terial may be employed in place of the sand. 'lhesttl'iid oi antimony prepared according to my process is more easily attacked and dissolved by chlorin gas than is the native sul'tid originally contained in the ore. Also i have found that by the use of the metals mentioned precipitants pure antimony is recovered from the acid solution instead of the interior quality of the sultid of antimony at first recovered by the addition of sulfuric acid to the original alkaline solution.

Having now described my invention what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. in a process for the purpose specified lllUTltl'lZlltg sul'lid oi antimony when mixed with sand or the like by means of a stream of chlorin gas and washing out the resulting chlorid of antimony and afterwards precipitating antimony in a pure state by the adtli tion of a more electro positive meta 2. The herein described process consisting in dissolving the antimonial contents of the gas to permeate r through it, hence any other free material with solution of a caustic alkali,

my hand in presence oi two subscribing w1t-' JOHN ROY MASSON.

\Yitnesses:

Bnnussron Bonrconn, W. J. S. THOMPSON. 

